Card-display rack.



O. R. HOOPER.

CARD DISPLAY RACK.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.26, 1910.

1,087,235, Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COQWASHINGTON. n. c.

C. R. HOOPER; CARD DISPLAY RACK. APPLICATION FILED APR.26, 1910.

1,087,235. Patented Feb. 17,1914.

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CHARLES R. HOOPER, 0F CANASTO'IA, NEW YORK.

CARD-DISPLAY RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1'7, 1914.

Application filed April 26, 1910. Serial No. 557,654.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES R. HoornR, of Canastota, in the count-y of Madison, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Card-Display Racks, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and eXact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in card display racks for photographs, souvenir cards and similar articles,

The object is to provide a rotary cabinet having a multiplicity of sides each having one or more card holders adapted to be brought into registration with a sight opening by the rotation of the cabinet.

Another object is to provide a simple self-adjusting means operable manually for rotating the cabinet.

Another object is to provide the cabinet with a series of compartments for the reception and temporary retention of a reserved quantity of cards to be displayed or vended.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the cabinet will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of the revolving cabinet and its actuating mechanism showing the inclosing case in section. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is'an enlarged sectional view of the friction wheel and portion of its actuating shaft for rotating the cabinet. Fig. 4L is an elevation of the lower end of the rotary cabinet supporting spindle showing its bearings in section. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view through a portion of the bottom of the rotary cabinet showing a portion of the actuating wheel. Figs, 6 and 7 are respectively horizontal and transverse vertical sectional views of a modified form of display rack in which the revolving element is mounted in a glass cabinet and provided with glass shelves resting on radial arms in the centrally supporting shaft.

This display rack or cabinet consists'of a rotary upright frame or drum having a multiplicity of sides 1 (preferably hexagonal in cross section) and provided with a bottom 2 and top --3, said top and bottom being connected by a central upright post 4 and outer side posts 5, the latter being located at the corners of the cabinet and together with the center post, top and bottom constitute the main supporting frame. The posts 5 are spaced equi-distant apart around and some distance from the center post 4:- to which they are connected by upright radially projecting partitions 6, thereby dividing the interior of the cabinet into a number of triangular compartments 7 corresponding to the number of sides of the cabinet extending from bottom to top thereof for the reception and retention of a supply of cards or other articles to be displayed or vended. The sides 1 are movable and preferably hinged along one of their upright edges to one of the posts -5, thereby constituting a series of normally closed doors which may be opened to permit access to the corresponding compartments. These doors or sides are of substantially the same form and size each door being provided on its outer face with one or more card holders consisting of open frames 8 of sheet metal or equivalent material open at one side, usually at the top, to permit the insertion and removal of the display cards so as to be visible from the exterior of the cabinet. This cabinet is provided with central supporting shafts or spindles 9- and 10 projecting from opposite ends thereof, the spindle -9 projecting downwardly from the bottom -2- and terminates in a conical journal 11- which is stepped or seated in a corresponding bearing -12- on the .bottom 13 of a main supporting frame or case 14, said shaft or spindle 9 being held against lateral displacement from the step 12 by a journal bearing 15 which is secured to the main frame 14- and engages the spindle 9 between the bottom of the rotary cabinet and bottom 13- of the main supporting case. The upper spindle -10 is j ournaled in a suitable yoke or bar -16 which is secured at its ends to the under side of the top as 17 of the main supporting frame 14l, the central portion of the bar 16' being spring pressed downfriction wheel 18 is secured to the inner end of a horizontal shaft -20 which we tends radially from the center through the outer side of the main supporting frame where it is provided. with a suitable knob -21- by which the shaft and wheel may be turned to rotate the cabinet. This shaft is journaled in suit-able bearings 22- and 23-, the bearing -22- being fixed and forming a part of the main supporting frame 14;, while the bearing -23-- is movable vertically and is spring pressed upwardly by a suitable spring -24 adapted to be adjusted by an adjusting screw -25 to vary the tension of the spring. The bearing 23- engages the under side of the inner end of the shaft -20 and is provided with a comparatively thin bearing plate -26 which rides in an annular groove 2'Z- in said shaft to hold the latter against axial movement. The bearing 23- preferably consists of a bar extending transversely of and under the shaft and is pivoted at one end at -.28 to a suitable support 29 some distance from the shaft --20-, the support -29 forming a part of the main supporting frame 1l. The spring 2 lpreferably rests upon the bottom 13 of the main supporting frame and has its free end engaged with the under side of the bearing 23- some distance at the opposite side of the shaft 20-, thereby eXerting an up lift upon said shaft to press the friction wheel 18 into contact with the under side of the bottom 2 of the cabinet and assuring suflicient frictional contact to cause it to rotate the cabinet as the shaft -20 is rotated by the knob 21, the adjusting screw -25 serving to increase the tension of the spring when necessary by simply screwing it into the bottom -l3- of the main supporting frame. The outer end of the shaft 20 is sufiiciently loose in the bearing 22- to permit slight vertical movement of the inner end of the shaft for the purpose of keeping the friction wheel 18 in contact with the under side of the cabinet. The main supporting frame or casing -ll is open at one or more sides but such open sides may be provided with suitable doors or closures 30 for entirely inclosing the cabinet if necessary, it being understood that the closure or closures --30- will be open when exhibiting the cards in the display rack or cabinet.

In operation the photographs, cards or other articles to be displayed or vended are placed in the compartment 7-, those of each kind being preferably kept separate and samples of each kind are placed in the holders 8 and by rotating the knob 21- the cabinet will be correspondingly rotated to exhibit the cards of each side to the sight opening in the main supporting frame or casing, such sight opening being produced by opening one of the doors -30. If any of the cards are displaced from their respective holders 8 they may be re-supplied from the corresponding compartment 7, access being had to such compartment by simply opening the corre' sponding door or side 1 of the cabinet.

The device shown in Figs. (3 and 7 is adapted for displaying any articles capable of being supported upon the shelves and comprises a multi-sided or circular base -l0-having a raised annular flange -41- upon and around which is mounted a series of upright cylindrical transparent, preferably glass, sides 12 which are inclosed at the top by a cap or plate --l3- for the purpose of excluding dust and at the same time partially supporting the upper ends of the glass plates. The base %O and cap l3 are connected at intervals throughout their peripheries by an upright base -4-fl: of wood or metal which serves to support and to hold them in fixed relation to the base. The upper edges of the bars -4t4l are rabbeted to receive the adjacent edges of the glass plates 42- which are held in place by metal strips -45, the latter being secured by suitable fastening means as screws -l6. Centrally within the case is an upright rotary shaft 47 having its lower end stepped in a suitable bearing 4S in the base l0 and its upper end journaled in a bar 49- similar to the bar 16 and having its ends secured to the under side of the cap 13. Upon this shaft is secured one above the other a series of vertically adjustable hubs -50- held in place by set screws 51- and provided with radial arms -52-- for supporting the shelves -53, of glass or other suitable material, said shelves being adapted to support the articles to be displayed. The lowermost shelf 53 preferably rests upon a circular plate 54 the lower face of which constitutes an annular bearing for a friction wheel l8- which is substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and is operated in the same manner. One of the glass case sections 42--- is mounted in a suitable sash 42 one side of which is hinged at -54 to the adjacent upright bar -4:l-, while the other side is provided with a lock or catch -55 of any well known construction adapted to support a keeper -56on the adjacent bar t4r to hold the door in its closed position and to permit it to be opened when necessary to insert or remove articles from the shelves.

In both forms of my invention the rotary portion of the display rack upon which the articles to be displayed are mounted is operated by means of a friction wheel spring pressed against the under side of a bearing at one side of the upright shaft, the friction wheel being mounted on a horizontal shaft extending outwardly through one side of the base and provided with a hand piece by which it may be rotated for the purpose of rotating the display rack.

hat I claim is:

1. A display device comprising a stationary housing, a frame arranged in said housing and provided with bearings, a socket mounted on said housing and adapted to receive one of said bearings, a resilient strip having its ends attached to the housing and its central portion ofiset from the plane of the ends and spaced apart from the housing and provided with a journal for the other bearing, whereby the first-named bearing is resiliently held in engagement with its socket, and means for rotating said frame independently of said housing.

2. A display device comprising a stationary housing, a frame vertically arranged in said housing and provided with end shafts, a socket mounted on said housing. and adapted to receive one of said end shafts, a resilient strip having its ends attached to the housing and its central portion offset from the plane of the end and spaced apart from the housing and provided with a j ournal for the other end shaft, whereby the first named end shaft is resiliently held in engagement with its said socket, and means for rotating said frame independently of said housing.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 15th day of April 1910.

CHARLES R. HOOPER.

Witnesses:

E. B. ROBERTS, HARRY W. EHLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yateata.

Washington, I). C. 

